Video 5:49
Canberra Airport

Craig AllenUpdated
Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:42 AM AEDT

Stateline takes a tour of Canberra's new airport terminal as it nears completion.

Transcript

CATHERINE GARRETT, PRESENTER: First, though, you'll remember this time last year we brought to you the heated debate about expansion at the private empire that is Canberra Airport. The airport was copping it from all sides about the influence it seemed to wield in planning decisions. Well, much has changed since then as anyone who's been to the airport recently will know.

The Federal Government finally approved the airport's master plan, allowing a controversial 24 hour freight hub and massive new building work one of the biggest privately owned buildings the ACT has ever seen. Craig Allen reports.

CRAIG ALLEN, REPORTER: They say big rewards only come with big risk. And in Canberra Airport's case, a big mess.

Passengers have had to navigate a constantly changing maze of road works just to find the airport. They're driving into the middle of a massive construction site but the airport owners have big dreams.

This is how the architects see the new Canberra Airport. It's a $350 million investment, entirely on the back of business, with no government funding, making it one of the largest private projects Canberra's ever seen.

Airport manager Stephen Byron has spent years spruiking his new development, not to mention fending off attacks from concerned residents and rival developers.

But from high above his construction site, he can almost see the finish.

STEPHEN BYRON, CANBERRA AIRPORT MANAGER: And then the stair will go in there next to the escalator. Basically it's all going well.

CRAIG ALLEN: Stephen Byron took Stateline on an exclusive tour of the new terminal, which is growing by the day.

STEPHEN BYRON: Passenger's walk straight into this first level of the terminal where the check in desks will be all here. And once they've checked in here, they'll go through security and through to the departure gates.

CRAIG ALLEN: So this will be people's first view of your new terminal?

STEPHEN BYRON: Yeah that's right. And all the check in desks will be there, nice high ceilings, lots of natural light with all the glass.

CRAIG ALLEN: The reality is this project nearly didn't happen.

The global financial crisis put the capital airport group's dream under a very black cloud.

STEPHEN BYRON: We put the terminal on hold in early October 08. We saw banks falling all around the world and our banks were saying they didn't know if they could be with us through the whole project. But April last year we got up the courage and were one of the first major projects in the country to get going again. We've had great support from our bankers and now you can see it. We're within reach of that finishing line.

CRAIG ALLEN: The success of the Canberra Airport redevelopment hinges on an optimistic 4 per cent growth in air travel, including the expansion of international markets. So the new terminal will have full customs and quarantine facilities, something hindering overseas flights in the past.

STEPHEN BYRON: We want that in place for Qantas and Virgin to fly across to New Zealand, probably Auckland and Wellington. And we want it for one of the airlines to link us to Singapore. We really want that link to Asia as a stepping stone to Europe beyond.

CRAIG ALLEN: And not just passengers flights but the freight flights that attracted so much controversy when the airport's master plan was released last year. The Federal Government has approved Canberra becoming a 24 hour freight hub. Residents have already lost that battle. But one thing the Commonwealth won't abide is Canberra becoming Sydney's second airport.

STEPHEN BYRON: We've never said we want to be Sydney's second airport. I don't think they'll ever name it Sydney's second airport. Every solution has fallen over Badgery's Creek, Wilton, Richmond, Goulburn. They're not going to have a Sydney's second airport. But what's going to be needed is that a range of airports such as ourselves, Newcastle and to a degree Brisbane and Melbourne will need to start to shoulder some of the overflowing demand that'll come through because of Sydney's capacity restraints.

CRAIG ALLEN: The scale of the development looks impressive but, remember, this is less than half of what will eventually be build.

STEPHEN BYRON: This first part of the terminal, it will be ready in September but then the rest of the job starts. And we've now got the planning approval from the Minister for Transport, we're delighted about that and the banking finance is in place. So we'll go straight ahead. That involves demolishing the Qantas terminal and building a mirror image of this the other side of it.

The entire existing terminal will go. I mean it's not, it's hardly heritage listed. It's served its purpose. It's well past its use by date. This will be a facility that will last for 20 to 30 years. I mean it's a very major facility, its high quality, high class facility and it's something that befits our national capital.

CRAIG ALLEN: Stage one will be finished by September but that means another six months of traffic chaos, congestion and downright confusion.

STEPHEN BYRON: The internal road system has had to change significantly. It's caused a lot of inconvenience and we're grateful for people's patience. But all of the road workers, all of the car parks, all of the inground services from the water, the sewerage and the gas they're not sexy but they're being done properly for the next 30 years, and that is why we've had the level of disruption. But I think people can see there's something tangible and real coming. It is not too far away and it is going to be really first class. So I think people are now with us as they can see the dream unfold.